Joseph Drouhin : Clos de Vougeot Grand cru 2020

Tasting characteristics and advice for Joseph Drouhin’s Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2020

Tasting

Color

The color reveals a magnificent deep, intense, brilliant ruby red.

Nose

The nose is highly expressive and complex, opening on aromas of raspberry and wild cherry. With aeration, the bouquet evolves toward notes of undergrowth, truffle, and candied fruits, complemented by woodland nuances and subtle spices.

Palate

On the palate, this wine unfurls a superb structure with refined tannins and remarkable aromatic persistence. The attack is crisp and straightforward, followed by a deep mid-palate where fruity flavors integrate harmoniously with the tannic framework and freshness. The texture combines power and elegance, while the finish lingers at length with spicy, lightly toasted notes.

Food and wine pairings

This Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2020 pairs perfectly with noble red meats such as rib of beef or braised lamb. It also matches beautifully with feathered and furred game, as well as dishes featuring wild mushrooms. Aged cheeses from Burgundy such as Époisses, Langres, or Cîteaux also make excellent pairings.

Serving and cellaring

Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2020 is best enjoyed at a temperature between 16 and 18°C. Decanting for about one hour is recommended to allow the wine to fully reveal its aromatic complexity. This great vintage can be enjoyed now, but it will express its full potential between 15 and 25 years, with cellaring potential that can reach around 40 years under optimal storage conditions.

A concentrated and delicate Burgundy Grand Cru by Joseph Drouhin

The estate

Founded in 1880 in Beaune by Joseph Drouhin, the House of Joseph Drouhin has established itself as one of the benchmark names in Burgundy. Now run by the family’s fourth generation—Frédéric, Philippe, Véronique, and Laurent Drouhin—the estate farms around 100 hectares of vineyards across Burgundy, more than two-thirds of which are classified as Premier Cru or Grand Cru. A pioneer in sustainable viticulture, the House converted all of its vineyards to biodynamic farming as early as 1996, becoming Burgundy’s largest biodynamic producer. Joseph Drouhin’s philosophy favors refined elegance and the authentic expression of terroirs, producing wines that are both approachable in their youth and endowed with remarkable aging potential.

The vineyard

The Clos de Vougeot is one of Burgundy’s most iconic and historic vineyards, covering around 50 hectares enclosed by walls since the 12th century by the Cistercian monks of the Abbaye de Cîteaux. Located between Vosne-Romanée and Chambolle-Musigny in the Côte de Nuits, this Grand Cru is now shared among around eighty owners. Joseph Drouhin owns two parcels within this legendary clos, benefiting from an east-facing exposure on gentle slopes. The soils display remarkable geological diversity, with compositions varying by altitude—from shallow, gravelly soils over limestone at the top of the slope to deeper brown soils with marl lower down. This mosaic of terroirs gives Clos de Vougeot wines their intensity, complexity, and exceptional aging potential.

The vintage

The 2020 vintage in Burgundy was marked by warm and relatively dry conditions following a normal spring and favorable flowering. Early budbreak and accelerated vine development led to an early harvest, starting on September 22 in the Côte de Nuits. Summer heat spells, notably in early and late August, concentrated sugars and encouraged rapid ripening of the grapes. These conditions yielded grapes with high phenolic maturity and strong sugar concentration, creating the potential for powerful, aromatic wines with substantial structure.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2020 were harvested by hand into small ventilated crates to preserve the integrity of the fruit. After rigorous sorting when necessary, vinification was carried out according to the characteristics of the terroir and the vintage, with a proportion of whole clusters ranging from 20 to 50%. Fermentation took place in small open vats over 2 to 3 weeks, with regular punch-downs and pump-overs, using indigenous yeasts. After vertical pressing, the press fractions were selected by tasting. Aging was carried out in high-forest French oak barrels for 16 to 20 months, with 30% new barrels and 70% barrels of one wine or more. All decisions regarding malolactic fermentation and aging were guided by weekly tastings, favoring finesse, the expression of terroir, and respect for the vintage.

Grape variety

100% Pinot Noir